Eurofins Product Testing is the world market leader in terms of capacity for VOC emissions chamber testing, operating several hundreds test chambers of different sizes, experienced with VOC emission chamber testing since 1989.

Hazardous chemicals may form part of a product without posing any harm if they do not leave the product at any time, but they may lead to significant health risks when a significant volume is set free. Determination of release into surrounding indoor air is the issue of emission testing.

The international presence of the Eurofins laboratories allows you to save money by having tested a product only once, following a testing protocol giving results that are accepted by a large variety of national labels. Eurofins can assist you with application for the different national labels.

Your Eurofins laboratory can advise you which tests are required for the different purposes and different labels. Testing is performed by Eurofins for most of the labels in Europe and also for USA related purposes - for a non-comprehensive list of labels please click here.

What means VOC?

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) are contained in many products. Due to their volatility, VOC can be released from these products into the surrounding air during production, application and use. Several countries have restrictions of the VOC content in products, to limit the potentially released VOCs. Other regulations limit only the emissions and do not care about those VOC that remain in the product and are not released into air.

These regulations use different terms and definitions that are not equivalent. Some examples are outlined below.

Indoor air quality and VOC emission testing

Below definitions are used for indoor air quality monitoring, and for VOC emissions testing.

WHO World Health Organization

WHO, as cited in ISO 16000-6, defined VOC as any organic compound with a boiling point in the range from (50 °C to 100 °C) to (240 °C to 260 °C), corresponding to having saturation vapour pressures at 25 °C greater than 100 kPa.

ISO 16000-6, EN 16516, VOC regulations in Europe, AgBB and more

Total VOCs (TVOC) is defined in ISO 16000-6 and in EN 16516 as all VOCs (ISO 16000-6) or as the sum of all detected volatile organic compounds, sampled on Tenax TA, which elute from a non-polar or slightly polar gas chromatographic separation column between and including n-hexane and n-hexadecane (n-C6 - n-C16), measured by mass selective detector (MSD), and quantified as toluene equivalent (meaning as if it were toluene).

This covers any organic compound with a boiling ranging circa between 68 °C and 287 °C. This definition is the mostlyused for VOC emission testing throughout the world.

Carbon-containing compounds (excluding carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, carbonic acid, metallic carbides and carbonates and ammonium carbonate) with vapor pressures at standard conditions approximately ranging between those for n-pentane through n-heptadecane (n-C5 - n-C17). For the purposes of the Californian CDPH standard method, formaldehyde and acetaldehyde are considered to be VOCs.

VOC content

Below definitions are used when setting limit values of VOC content in product for reducing total emissions during life-cycle of the product, for minimizing any contribution of VOC to generation of ground level ozone. Limit values apply mostly to paints, coatings, adhesives and sealants.

VOC content is the content of volatile chemical minus the aqueous fraction of the fraction, minus the fraction of non-ozone-generating so-called "exempt compounds", such as acetone. To be given as grams / liter. Here you can download an illustration. Another definition is used by the same regulators, saying that VOC content is the content of any volatile organic chemicals visible with boiling point below 270 °C or 280°C, different definitions apply.

German TRGS 613

Solvent content of a product is the content of any volatile organic chemicals with boiling point below 200 °C. This regulation was made for worker protection.

Other definitions

Other definitions define VOC as a function of vapour pressure at a standard atmospheric pressure of 101.3 kPa.

Other definitions

VVOC = Very Volatile Organic Compound

Any organic compound more volatile than VOC.

SVOC = Semi-Volatile Organic Compound

Any organic compound less volatile than VOC. There are definitions of SVOC in EN 16516 and for the EU ecolabel for paints and coatings.

NVOC = Non-Volatile Organic Compound

Any organic compound not volatile enough to be detected as vapour-phase constituent of indoor air.

POM = Particle-bound Organic Matter

Any organic compound not volatile enough to be detected as vapour-phase constituent of indoor air but that can be detected in solid form in indoor air - as small airborne particles, or adsorbed on inorganic dust particles.

The list of EU LCI values is expanded continuously by a European expert group. All regulations on VOC emissions issued by any EU Member State will have to refer to that list. The countries just can add limits for VOCs not yet ion the EU LCI list.

EU research report ECA no 29 (EUR 26168) "Harmonisation framework for health based evaluation of indoor emissions from construction products in the European Union using the EU-LCI concept" (2013). Please note that updates are available only via the website.

Member States of the European Union may have different legal limits for VOC and formaldehyde emissions from interior construction products into indoor air. Voluntary programs labeling low emitting products normally have even lower limits. These limits apply after 28 days, in some cases also after 3 days of storage in a ventilated test chamber.

Non-conclusive lists of limit values are given here for the example of installation products (used to install other products permanently indoors), such as adhesives and sealants.

Below table 1 is an overview of the most relevant regulations and specifications as of April 2015, as regards requirements after 3 days storage in a ventilated test chamber.

Conversion of figures:

1 ppb is 0.001 ppm;

1 ppm is 1000 ppb 1 µg/m³ is 0.001 mg/m³; 1 mg/m³ is 1000 µg/m³

For conversion of figures between ppm and mg/m³, or between ppb and µg/m³, here are some popular conversion calculators:

All these require entry of the molecular weight (MW). You can find that data via Google, in Wikipedia etc.

Limit values after 3 days storage in a ventilated test chamber

TVOCµg/m³

Sum of carcinogens C1A,CA2µg/m³

Formaldehydeµg/m³

Acetaldehydeµg/m³

Sum ofForm- and Acetaldehyde

German regulation / AgBB

10 000

10

-/-

-/-

-/-

draft Lithuanian regulation

10 000

10

-/-

-/-

-/-

EMICODE EC2

3 000

10

50

50

50 ppb

EMICODE EC1

1 000

10

50

50

50 ppb

EMICODE EC1 PLUS

750

10

50

50

50 ppb

Blue Angel adhesives

1 000

10

-/-

-/-

50 ppb

Blue Angel sealants

2 000

10

-/-

-/-

-/-

Indoor Air Comfort

10 000

10

-/-

-/-

-/-

Indoor Air Comfort GOLD

1 000

10

50

50

50 ppb

Limit values after 28 days storage in a ventilated test chamber

Below table is an overview of the most relevant regulations and specifications as of April 2015, as regards requirements after 28 days storage in a ventilated test chamber. Some details may be missing in the table due to lack of space.

TVOCµg/m³

TSVOCµg/m³

Each carcinogenC1A,CA2µg/m³

Formaldehydeµg/m³

Acetaldehydeµg/m³

LCI

R value

Specials

Sum of non-LCI & non-identifiedµg/m³

Belgian regulation

1000

100

1

100

200

Belgian list

1

Toluene 300 µg/m³

-/-

French regulationsclass A+

1000

-/-

-/-

10

200

-/-

-/-

List of 8 VOCs,4 CMR

-/-

French regulationsclass A

1500

-/-

-/-

60

300

-/-

-/-

List of 8 VOCs,4 CMR

-/-

French regulationsclass B

2000

-/-

-/-

120

400

-/-

-/-

List of 8 VOCs,4 CMR

-/-

French regulationsclass C

>2000

-/-

-/-

>120

>400

-/-

-/-

List of 8 VOCs,4 CMR

-/-

German AgBB regulation

1000

100

1

100

1200

German AgBB list

1

-/-

100

draft Lithuanian regulation

1000

100

1

product type specific

-/-

Lithuanian list

1

-/-

-/-

EMICODE EC2

300

100

1

(after3 days)

(after 3 days)

-/-

-/-

-/-

-/-

EMICODE EC1

100

50

1

(after3 days)

(after 3 days)

-/-

-/-

-/-

-/-

EMICODE EC1 PLUS

60

40

1

(after3 days)

(after 3 days)

German AgBB list

1

-/-

40

Blue Angel flooring adhesives

100

50

1

(after3 days)

(after 3 days)

German AgBB list

1

-/-

40

Blue Angel sealants

300

30

1

60

other aldehydes 50 ppb

German AgBB list

1

-/-

-/-

Indoor Air Comfort

1000

100

1

60

200

Belgian and German list

1

4 French CMR

100

Indoor Air Comfort GOLD, installation products

750

60

1

10

50

Belgian and German list

1

4 French CMR

40

Finnish M1, sealants

20

-/-

1

10

-/-

-/-

-/-

Ammonia, odour

-/-

Finnish M1, adhesives

200 µg/m²h

-/-

5 µg/m²h

50 µg/m²h

-/-

-/-

-/-

Ammonia, odour

-/-

Pan-European VOC testing package "Indoor Air Comfort EU"

VOC emissions testing is more and more harmonized across Europe, but still different in detail

In Europe, VOC emissions testing of construction products is harmonized to a large extent via the testing standard prEN 16516. But this regards only the way of testing, not the requirements and limit values. These are specified in a different manner by each relevant regulation, and by several voluntary low VOC labels and certifications.

Some technical differences continue to exist, especially for products that are applied in wet form (coatings, adhesives, sealants and more). Some specifications require more material in the test chamber, other specifications require testing with less material. Some specifications allow some days of separate pre-conditioning before start of test. Other specifications do not accept that. And Germany still uses a different TVOC calculation than other countries.

Eurofins harmonizes most of this into one Europe-wide test setup

Most European low VOC programs go for testing after 3 and/or 28 days storage in a ventilated test chamber. The test results are calculated into air concentrations in the harmonized European Reference Room for most purposes.

This allows to design one single test set-up and obtain the test data that are needed for the very most regulations and voluntary labels in Europe. We just test all relevant parameters at both points of time and then we can report compliance with any existing limit values. Then it can be read with which regulations and labels the product will comply.

This is a Eurofins service that is marketed under the brand "Indoor Air Comfort EU test".

This can cut up to 50% or more of testing costs, compared to separate testing for each program.

The challenge with remaining technical differences is solved by applying the worst-case conditions, meaning the highest amount of product required by any ingoing program. And if not all programs allow a pre-conditioning phase then we skip it for the combined test. This worst-case approach includes that the test result can only be equal or lower, but not higher, for the specific testing conditions per program.

This implies the risk that the product could have complied with a specific label using the test parameters as defined there, but it may fail the test under the worst-case conditions. But on the other hand, if a product passes the worst-case conditions test, then it will pass as well under any easier conditions.

The Eurofins product certification program Indoor Air Comfort and Indoor Air Comfort GOLD goes beyond that. While using the same test data, the lowest limit values of all VOC regulations in European countries are copied together as criteria for the Indoor Air Comfort label. On top of that, the Indoor Air Comfort GOLD label copies together the lowest limit values of most of the voluntary low VOC labels in Europe.

In addition to that, the label is granted only on basis of a certification process with regular factory inspections and re-testing. All this makes the Indoor Air Comfort GOLD label the "Best-of-the-class" label with the most stringent requirements across Europe.

Microchamber VOC testing

Microchamber testing is an important tool for fast VOC emission testing, but it cannot substitute normal chamber testing.

The Microchamber is a stainless steel pot with 40 ml volume and 4.5 cm diameter - about the size of an Espresso cup. It can be used in two modes. In the cell mode, the whole test piece is tested, with all surfaces. In the FLEC mode, only the upper surface is tested while back and edges are isolated from the ventilation stream. A Microchamber can be operated at room temperature or at elevated temperature (up to 120°C).

Microchamber testing is faster and cheaper than normal chamber testing. And it can be operated at elevated temperature. Even though its design produces systematic differences to normal test chamber, and Microchamber testing cannot substitute VOC emissions chamber testing, Microchamber testing is a valuable tool for these applications:

Comparative testing of similar products from a portfolio for identifying those with highest emissions.

Survey analyses for identifying the most relevant emitted chemicals and the order of magnitude of their emissions

Batch control for documentation that low emissions are also true for next batches

Semi-quantitative testing of ageing by heating the product moderately - the more volatile substances will disappear and the long-term emission profile will be seen after only few days already.

Odour Emissions Testing of construction and decorative products, furniture and consumer goods can follow very different principles of very different degree of complexity and costs.

There is an on-going dispute whether odour testing of construction and decorative products

is meaningful

can be performed in a reliable and reproducible manner, if laboratories from different regions are involved.

German BAM placed a description of ISO 16000-28 and VDI 4302-1 techniques in the Web and reported results of a related round robin test that was performed in 2012.

Several experts raise questions on the reliability of such tests, and on the validity of chamber tested odours for odours of the same products after realistic application. This was investigated in a validation project. See also recent discussions in LinkedIn.

There was a hearing on the results of the German pilot study on odour testing on 01 and 02 October 2015. The presentations now are available for download at the conference website.

The final report on a round robin test on odour testing is available for download in English and in German language.

Despite remaining uncertainty, German AgBB and UBA (Environmental Agency) promote the idea of including an ISO 16000-28 test of odour intensity, along with a VDI 4302-1 test of odour hedonics, in the evaluation of construction products.

Testing principles

Until today, electronic noses can be fine for measuring odours of the same characteristics, but they are challenged by measuring and comparing odours of widely different nature.

Therefore, odour testing mostly is performed by presenting a product to an odour testing panel (group of testing persons), and then averaging the individual test results.

The more people are included in the odour panel, the more independent the result will be from individual vote.

The more the odour panel members will be trained against know odour sources, and selected for individual performance, the more independent the result will be from individual vote.

Dynamic test:The product is placed in a ventilated canister or test chamber at controlled temperature and humidity. After a specified time (for simulating ageing of the odour emissions), odour panellists evaluate the exit air of the test chamber, presented as an air stream fast enough that no side-air is diluting the odour when taking a breath.Examples:ISO 16000-28,VDI 4302-1,Finnish M1,Danish Indoor Climate Label.

If a VOC emission testing chamber is used, then the outlet air is collected in Tedlar gas bags.These then are subjected to odour testing by a panel.Alternatively, special glass chambers can be used that are not suited for VOC emissions testing (chambers of type CLIMPAC or similar). Here the outlet air is evaluated by the odour panel directly.

German BAM placed a description of ISO 16000-28 and VDI 4302-1 techniques in the Web and reported results of a related round robin test that was performed in 2012.

Several experts raise questions on the reliability of such tests, and on the validity of chamber tested odours for odours of the same products after realistic application. This was investigated in a validation project. See also recent discussions in LinkedIn.

Possible scales for rating odours can include one or several of these:

Odour Intensity (best if rated against known standards)

Odour Hedonics (character of the odour)

Odour Acceptance

The above parameters are treated as independent from each other even though this independency is discussed controversial.

Calibration of an odour panel will occur via selection of the panel members by their individual performance until the response of the total panel responds to expectations.

There is a multitude of units to measure the odour intensity; all of these have different historical background, are not directly interchangeable, and are limited to a distinct testing methodology:

Application: Odour testing of indoor air, performed mostly at research level. These were used by some researchers at the end of 20th century, but these units still are found in some publications.

Calibration:

One olf is the sensory pollution strength from a standard person defined as an average adult working in an office or similar non-industrial workplace, sedentary and in thermal comfort, with a hygienic standard equivalent of 0,7 baths per day and whose skin has a total area of 1,8 square m².

One decipol (dp) is the perceived air quality (PAQ) in a space with a sensory load of one olf (one standard person) ventilated by 10 L/s.

At least 20 naive (= untrained) panelists individually enter an air space with a measured rate of ventilation and a measured rate of human bioeffluents emissions, and decide whether the air quality was satisfactory or unsatisfactory. A correlation curve of percent dissatisfied panelists against ventilation rate is derived from that exercise.

Eurofins services

Eurofins as a world-wide provider of VOC emission testing services is concerned about the reliability and validity of odour tests, including the ISO 16000-28. Particularly when considering cultural differences, odour acceptability and even odour intensity can vary considerably.

Nevertheless, our customers may need odour tests. Therefore we offer, and promise to perform these tests as good as we can:

Static odour test (VDA 270 / GUT etc.)

Dynamic odour test:

M1 (Finland),

Danish Indoor Climate Label,

ISO 16000-28 / VDI 4302-1 odour test.

The ISO 16000-28 odour test in the Danish Eurofins lab was ISO 17025 accredited by DANAK.

Automotive cabin air testing

VOC, formaldehyde, fogging and odor testing for the automotive industry follows testing methods that are specific per manufacturer.

The same applies to manufacturers of railway coaches and of airplanes.

International standards such as

the ISO 12219 standard series

and the German VDA standards

are the basis of these tests, but there are many company-specific modifications.

And each manufacturer has its own approval system for testing laboratories.

Emission testing for the automotive industry

VOC and formaldehyde tests can forego

in ventilated test chambers at elevated temperature, or

in sealed bags, containing the tested product, or

in Microchamber, or

in small glass vials.

Fogging tests are performed by condensing SVOCs on a cooled glass plate inside a heated test chamber.

Odor tests can be performed with or without calibration of the odour panel against known odour sources.

Both simple and sophisticated rating scales are in use.

Eurofins Services

The Eurofins network of laboratories, together with external partners, can offer VOC testing, formaldehyde testing, and odor testing for many of these specifications. When requesting a quote, it is essential to specify which of the many specific testing methods shall be followed.

Emission chamber testing is the reference method. Related testing standards are e.g. ISO 16000, EN 16516, EN 717-1, ASTM D5116, ASTM D6670, JIS A 1901, BIFMA X7.1, EMICODE test method, CDHP test method ("Section 1350"), and many more. Secondary methods are those that are less accurate but also less expensive. Anyhow these may serve very well for compliance testing, batch control, or for survey testing of emission order of magnitude. One example is Microchamber (see information in English or in French), another example is the FLEC emission test cell.

Odour emission testing is less reliable than chemical emission testing because subjective rating of odour is involved. When needed, Eurofins is offering odour testing, then performing odour testing as well as possible (see information in English or in French), but still within the unavoidable frame of limited accuracy.

Accreditation

VOC emission testing by Eurofins Product Testing A/S is accredited by DANAK under #168 in accordance with ISO 17025 which is the prerequisite for an analytical laboratory - ISO 9001 certification will not be sufficient. For explanation of the difference please click here. Our accreditation is valid world-wide via mutual acceptance within ILAC. Similar accreditation was achieved by the VOC testing laboratory in Shenzhen (China).

In January 2017, the Ministry of the Environment, Energy and the Sea notified the European Commission of its intention to publish a Decree and an Order related to the labeling of furniture products, vis-à-vis of their emissions of volatile pollutants.

These bills fall within the framework of Act No. 2009-67 of 3 August 2009 on the implementation of the "Grenelle de l'Environnement" (Article 40), which stipulates a labeling of emissions of volatile pollutants and prohibits the presence of carcinogenic, mutagenic or reprotoxic substances of categories 1 and 2 (CMR1 and CMR2).A public consultation was subsequently posted on the Ministry of Environment website and is now complete.The draft Decree and Order are currently available on the website of the European Commission by clicking on the links below:Draft decreeDraft Order

This new regulatory framework plans to make the labeling of formaldehyde emissions for furniture products containing wood-based panels mandatory.The labeling concerns the products mentioned above insofar as they are intended, exclusively or not, for indoor use.On the other hand, contrary to the labeling of emissions from construction and decoration products, this draft regulation does not include the measurement of other substances, such as Total Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs).The Ministry of the Environment also points out that second-hand furniture is not covered by this draft regulation and that a minimum production threshold of ten identical copies must be reached in order to make this labeling mandatory.Deadlines

The entry into force of this draft regulation is planned in two stages:

- 01/01/2020: for products made available on the market for the first time from that date

- 01/01/2021: for products made available on the market before 01/01/2020

Determination of exposure concentrations

Two methods are possible for determining exposure concentrations:

First method: Emission chamber tests

The authorized standards for the measurement of formaldehyde are as follows:

3) Or any French or harmonized standard relating to the characterization of formaldehyde emissions

Technical GuideThe publication by the Ministry of the Environment of a technical guide entitled "Test protocol for the characterization of emissions of volatile pollutants by furniture products" is expected shortly.This guide is likely to provide further guidance on the different ways of determining exposure concentrations and selection of test chambers.

Second method: Calculation of the concentration from the various components of the piece of furniture

The exposure concentration of the entire piece of furniture can be determined by calculation, based on the prior knowledge of the emission factors of the raw panels that make up the entire piece of furniture.This information will be provided in the Technical Guide.Regulatory label

“(*) Information on the level of formaldehyde emission in indoor air, presenting a risk of inhalation toxicity, on a scale ranging from A + (very low emissions) to C (high emissions) ".

Emission Classes

As it stands, four classes have been defined in the draft regulation:

Emission class

A+

A

B

C

Formaldehyde concentration (µg/m3)

< 3

< 5

< 10

≥ 10

The Eurofins Product Testing laboratory is accredited to EN ISO / IEC 17025 for testing formaldehyde emissions in test chambers according to ISO 16000-3, -9 and EN 717-1. We test the emissions of furniture but also those of construction products, decorative and household products in order to meet the requirements of many international regulations and labels.

If you have any questions regarding this draft regulation, please do not hesitate to contact us by e-mail at the following address: carolinelaffargue@eurofins.com